Coin-detecting vending machine



March 12, 1929. J, H, MANN, JR 1,704,752

' com DETECTING VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Feb 27, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 12, 1929.

J. H. MANN, JR

COIN DETECTING VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 27, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2' gnwntoz March 12, 1929. MANN, JR 7 1,704,752

COIN DETECTING VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 27, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 firm mg March 12, 1929. J. H. MANN, JR 4,

COIN DETECTING VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 2'7, 1924 4 Sheets-Shem; 4

Patented Mar. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES JAMES H. MANN, JR., OF ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA,

SALES CORPORATION,

ASSIGNOR TO SOUTHWESTERN OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

COIN-DETECTING VENDING MACHINE.

Original application filed February 27, 1924, Serial No. 695,485. Divided and this application filed April 11, 1925. Serial No. 22,276.

This invention relates to vending machines, and more particularly to mechanism for locking the coin collecting outlet for vending machines employing elimination devices for the rejection of spurious coins and the like, and is a division of application Serial No. 695,485, filed February 27, 1921.

The invention has for its object to provide improvements for locking the merchandise tray upon depletion of the merchandise.

A further object of the invention is to provide improvements in the mechanism employing the coin outlet locking device for releasing the mechandise tray.

lVit-h these and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction and arrangement of parts, which will be first fully described and afterwards specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the eass;

Figure 2 illustrates a rear view of F 1gure 1;

Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 2 with back or mounting plate removed;

Figure 4 is a front view of the frame with slider plate removed;

Figure 5 is a front assembly view of the frame structure;

Fig. 6 is a rear View of the back or mounting plate.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the coin chamber partitioning means;

Figure 8 is a bottom view of the magazine;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the casing with cover removed;

Figure 10 illustrates the construction of the coin chamber slider control member; and

Figures 11 and 12 are detail views of the ratchet section employed.

Fig. 13 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of the merchandise tray and its locking mechanism.

Within the casing 1 is carried the removable frame 2 held in place by means of a removable magazine 3 fitting against the upper portion of the frame and the suporting ears 4. The lower portion of the frame 2 rests upon a coin chamber 6 having partitioning means which form at the bottom of the casing both a spurious coin or token delivery opening 7, as well as a coin chamber having a coin collecting slot 8 on the lower side of the casing. Cooperating with the side of the frame 2 opposite to the magazine 3 is a demountable mounting plate 9 which not only closes the back wall of the casing but is a means for readily attaching the casing to a wall or the like, upon which the mounting plate is to be secured.

The frame has a central channel 11 communicating with a diameter detecting chute 1212, one for each side of the frame.

The chute 11 normally leads to the standard coin segregating chute 35 leading to the coin actuated merchandise delivery mechanism. Part of the latter has already been described in my previous United States latent No. 1,408,112. There is therefore no need for going into great particulars regarding the same. It sufliees to say that a novel tray catch 36 is provided, freely pivoted in the wall of the frame 2, in such a way that the knurled shank 37 of the catch extends through and beyond the surface of the frame in order that 38 on the coinbox shutter-control 39 may engage with such knurled shank to release the catch when the last package of merchandisc has been vended and the tray 5 becomes caught by the overbalance catch 36 which holds the rotated tray in locked position.

It will be seen from F lg. 13 that the tray catch 36 is of elongated formation so that when the same is in vertical position shown in Fig. 4, it is held in such vertical position by the merchandise. As soon, however, the last piece of merchandise is delivered from the tray 5, the said catch 36 drops into posit-ion shown in Fig. 13 and engages the tray 5 and locks said tray in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 13.

Upon removal of the top of the casing the cover slide 39 is raised to uncover the coin opening 8 for the removal of the coins. This causes the milled spring 38 to slide over the knurled shank 37 of the catch 36 until said slide is in position shown in Fig. 13. Before the top again applied and the new supply of merchandise is inserted in the machine, the cover slide 39 is depressed so as to again cover the coin collecting opening 8. This downward movement of the leaf spring 38 on the knurled shank 37, re-

a milled leaf spring tates the catch 36 into its normally vertical position shown in Fig. 4, and permits the tray 5 to assume its normal horizontal position. The merchandise is then supplied to the machine, and as it lies directly in front of the catch 36, said catch is held in inactive position thereby. As soon, however, as the last piece of merchandise has been delivered from the tray 5, said catch again drops down in position shown in Fig. 13 and locks the tray 5.

The standard coin on entering the vending chute falls between a boss 41 and the wall of a rotatable lever plate 42. The boss 41 is made part of a toothed sector 43 meshing with rack teeth 44 on the actuator bar 22. Thus as the actuator bar is moved upwardly the standard coin forms the necessary mechanical link for causing the lever plate to rotate and with it the tray 5, by virtue of enmeshing elements at one end 0 the tray structure. Such tray structure carries integrally therewith a multilated gear plate meshing with coacting radially arranged slots 47 of a one-way retaining ratchet plate 48, held by a movement completing pawl 49 spring pivoted on the frame. Thus as the ratchet plate or sector 48 moves counter-clockwise (when viewed from the front of the frame structure) it is automatically held in its advanced position till the complete movement is accomplished, when the sector rides past the one face of the pawl to allow the latter to swing out of locking action and thereby the sector 48 is enabled completely to return. The forward motion of the sector 48 is caused, upon the insertion of a proper coin, by the edge of the rotatable lever plate 42 starting the sector 48 through pressure on lug 50. However, as soon as sector 48 has advanced enough so that movement completing pawl 49 has engaged one-way retaining ratchet plate 48 the coin falls into the coin receptacle and rotatable lever plate 42 returns to its normal position, due to spring action, and exerts no further influence during the operation. The sector 48, however, is now partially rotated but is held against backward movement by pawl 49. A downward extending lug Y (Fig. 12) of the sector 48 has been thrown, due to the movement just described, into the path of the edge X of the actuator 22. Then upon further movement or completion of the stroke of actuator 22 edge X will strike and force lug Y of sector 48 through its entire movement thus completing the forward operation after which the entire mechanism will be allowed to return to its normal or operating position.

If then on coin actuation the ratchet sector 48 causes the tray 5 to rotate, should the last piece of merchandise be vended, the catch 36 will i all and drop behind the back 53 of the tray and it will require the lifting and return of the shutter control 39 with its leaf spring 38 to bring the catch into upright position so that the magazine 3 may be filled and the device put into normal operation again.

In the assembly of the device there is first introduced at the bottom of the casing the coin chamber partitioning member 6. A shutter slide 39 for the coin chamber carrying a leaf spring 38 is inserted by the bent ever end 82 of the same, which latter should be flush with the top of the casing. Said spring is knurled to operate the pawl 36 on the frame 2 into raised position when the slide is inserted. At the same time the lower end of the slide forms a shutter to close the coin delivery slot 8, formed at the bottom of the casing. The coin chamber cannot be entered or emptied until the slide 39 has been raised after the locking cover has been removed.

I claim 1. In combination with a coin controlled device for delivery of merchandise, a tray for supporting the merchandise, a casing therefor having a coin chamber and a coin delivery slot for said chamber, a shutter slide for said slot within said casing, a locking means for said tray operable with depletion of the merchandise contained in said casing, and means on said slide for releasing said locking means when said slide moved in slot closing position of said coin chamber.

In combination with a coin controlled device for the delivery of merchandise, a tray for supporting the merchandise, a casing therefor having a coin chamber and a coin delivery slot for said chamber, a. shutter slide for said slot within said casing, a locking means for said tray operable with depletion of the merchandise contained in said casing, and means on said slide for unlocking said tray when said slide is moved in slot closing position on said coin chamber, a cover lock for said casing, said slide offering an obstruction to the proper covering of said cover lock when not moved into slot closing position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto ailixed my signature.

JAMES H. MANN, JR. 

